


One Heart Of Two

by Jdkwinxgrl



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (but it's not a crossover), (but like... later), A sense of belonging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Exploring the world with new eyes, Friendship, Fusion, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Just bros being bros, Loss of Autonomy, NOT UNTIL LATER THO I CANNOT STRESS –, pre-KH3, unintentional angst, warm feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jdkwinxgrl/pseuds/Jdkwinxgrl
Summary: When Roxas saw Sora in his dreams, his actions had been made in the spur of the moment. He hadn't been planning to meet with the brunet, but because he was there, he might as well... It was time to give him everything. (A retelling of Two Hearts Become One).
Relationships: Kairi & Sora, Riku & Sora, Roxas & Riku, Roxas & Sora, Roxas/Sora, Sora & Vanitas
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	One Heart Of Two

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two Hearts Become One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5330840) by [Jdkwinxgrl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jdkwinxgrl/pseuds/Jdkwinxgrl). 



_**AN: SO, WE’RE BACK AT THIS AGAIN. This is another telling of Two Hearts Become One. You must be thinking, “wow okay, basically the same story just with a few tweaks” This has a big difference: This time, we have a first person POV from the blonde child himself, Roxas! While Sora will have some scenes, I wanted to focus more on Roxas this time around. It’s sort of omniscient, so the narration will once in awhile say some things that Roxas may not completely know, but it won’t be anything too big?? Just stuff that Roxas wouldn’t necessarily know in canon, but will narrate for the sake of development. Regardless, whether you’re returning or a new fan, welcome to One Heart of Two!** _

* * *

Something felt oddly familiar about the scenario presented before him. The general mood, the cozy atmosphere was so at home with him, it almost felt startling. Trying to place an off feeling in a moment that feels to be going **too** perfectly.

“Hmm, it never gets old, does it?” X̛͢į̶̧o̴̴͟n̶̢̨͟͡ said, their eyes not once leaving the setting sun as they bit off a piece of their ice cream. It was the two of them versus the world on that clock tower ledge, the twilight sun almost a reflection of their radiance.

“What doesn’t?” Sora asked, staring at them with confusion as he licked his own popsicle.

“Everything. You and Axel, the rest of the organization. I love it when I go to a new world with you, because I know it’s also your first time too,” They said, smiling. “ **Roxas**.”

“Hey Sora, who are you talking to?” I asked, chuckling. I must’ve looked really odd standing there. Whenever someone brought up a memory in Sora’s heart, it warps the world around us to take on the appearance of that place. If I stamped my foot, I’d maybe hear the sound of glass underneath my feet, depending on how strong the memory was. I was floating on thin air, for all Sora could see! This was Twilight Town, one of my own memories to be precise; most of the Twilight Town ones were.

After Diz had messed with my head, I wasn’t really left with much except the intense feelings of just so much sadness and anger, too. Before merging with Sora, I’d remembered Axel, and bits and pieces after that. I was too angry at Sora to care about looking for my memories. Once I’d made peace with him in the World That Never Was, I made an effort to look for them. By now, I’d recovered most, if not all, of them. I had a lot of free time, after all.

“Oh, I was just talking to my friend,” Sora turned his head from me to the spot beside him to see an empty space. “Where did she go?”

“You need to stop looking through my head so often, Sora. I think it’s making you see things.” I spoke, staring down at him, one hand rested on my waist.

“Your memories come and go as they please, I can’t help it most of the time.” Sora defended himself. Ever since I gave him my past memories during his exam, Sora had been dreaming of them almost every night. Missions with organization members, hanging out with that girl and Axel, fighting off different monsters. Sora had grown to know me through my memories, which was my intent from the start. It was only fair, Sora had given me his memories - albeit, unintentionally - might as well give him mine!

“We’ll have to-” I didn’t get to finish, something drilling its way into my head. Something was forcing its way in there, causing the illusion to rip away from around us. It hurt so much, it was almost unnoticeable when my knees hit the floor. Such a dull sensation was nothing compared to this piercing pain.

Before I knew it, Sora was approaching me in a rush.

“Roxas! Are you alright?!” Sora asked, worry evident from his tone. I groaned, my vision making out his hands reaching towards me. I shut my eyes again, nodding as the pain began to fade. A brief vision played out within my mind, almost like an old film.

“It’s just the memories, they’re often unpredictable.” I tried to explain, the pain reduced to a dull throb.

“Are you sure there’s nothing to worry about?” Sora asked, unconvinced.

I furrowed my eyebrows, regaining composure.

“Maybe…” I trailed off, my own conclusions leading him nowhere. I didn’t have all the answers, as much as I’d like to. I hated worrying Sora, and I hated feeling helpless to do anything. Not wanting to lead Sora into more confusion, I couldn’t say anything. It was better to tell him when I got my story straight.

“Why did you even give me your memories in the first place?” Sora asked, not even stopping to consider if the question was rude to ask. It wasn’t, but in a race to get answers, anything could come out of the brunet’s mouth. Not unkind things, yet, I can’t blame his eagerness, seeing as I shared that feeling myself.

I had given him my memories as a sign of trust, more so than to even out the trade he’d accidentally made. When I was still a Nobody, Axel constantly told me that we didn’t have emotions, that we couldn’t feel without hearts. Silly, looking back on it now, I know, but back then, he held his memories and thoughts close to his chest.

_“Got it memorized?”_

_“Yeah, yeah, I know. Couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.”_

_“Hey! It’s important, so don’t let it slip, okay?”_

Memories. The times spent laughing with friends, and laying back in bed after a long day’s work. They were special to me, my _everything_ , because Axel told me they were so. It was only natural to give this important essence of my very being to the one I trusted the most: Sora, who had now become my _new everything_. It only seemed fitting, don’t you agree?

Yeah, I think he feels the same way.

“Part of it was spur of the moment, knowing you were right in front of me, and I might never get the chance again. I wanted you to get to know me better, I think. I got your memories, only fair I share mine.” I stated with a shrug of my shoulders. I didn’t even know if it _would_ work, and was surprised when I’d been able to pull it off. It made sense, I guess, since we share a special connection.

“I’m glad we get to see each other again, if only just this once.” Sora spoke, grinning. And what a grin it was. Never had an expression best befitted Sora’s face than that stunning smile. _Believe in me, and everything will be okay!_ Haha, funny how my impression isn’t too far off. Anything felt truly possible looking at that smile.

* * *

It was odd, the routine set in place for me. When Sora was asleep and dreaming, I’d be awake in his mind, conversing with him after he’d experienced one of my memories. Then, when the dream ended and Sora awoke, it was _me_ placed in that sleepy state; Sora’s experiences in his waking world being communicated like a dream to me. I wasn’t lucid, so it didn’t feel weird or jarring that I wasn’t in control. In most normal dreams, you do and say things, and yet it’s not really you.

So when Sora woke up with the taste of salty sweetness in his mouth, I couldn’t cut in to comment on it. It took a few moments for him to get up nice and proper, feet dragging across his carpet towards the washroom. Even when he brushed his teeth, it was with squinted eyes and a lack of enthusiasm.

When Sora slowly returned to his bedroom, he just stood there, unable to process anything. There was something he was supposed to remember, right? Something was missing, missing, missing…

As his line of sight connected with the analog clock on his bedside table, his pupils shrunk. He was supposed to be meeting Kairi and Riku on the beach in 5 minutes! With no thought put into his outfit or appearance, he rushed to put something, anything, on and scrambled down the stairs.

“Where’s the cyclone, Sora?” His mom commented, looking up from her magazine on the kitchen table. She was posed and calm, coffee in hand, radiating a settled energy in opposition to Sora’s frazzled state.

“I’ve gotta go and meet the two, so I’m in a hurry.” Sora explained, quickly grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl centered on the table.

“If your outfit was any indication... Sometimes I wonder what’s going through the fashion industry’s head now a days.” She sighed, commenting on his disorganized outfit. He took a bite from his banana after peeling it and looked down at his outfit. He didn’t think it was _that_ bad for a 2 second grab and equip.

“What’s wrong with it? You know I’ll literally wear anything you put in my closet right?” Sora shot back, not seeing the problem with his mismatched clothes. It was just a lot of silver from his bottoms clashing with his black and red top. I personally favoured the silver, but you would hardly find that colour on Sora, much less so than in his closet.

“Uh-huh, that and whatever those ‘fairies’ force on you.” She teased, taking another sip of her coffee. I could assume Sora’s face was growing a slight red.

“ _Moooooommm_ , I told you not to mention that stuff.” Sora groaned, finishing up his banana. One day, while Sora’s mom was doing the laundry, she came upon the clothes provided by the fairies in Sora’s bin. Out of curiosity, she asked where they came from, and Sora, without missing a beat, told her it was from the fairies. You can guess how much he regrets _that_ answer; I know I got a good kick out of it.

“No, that’s the story you told me, Sora, and that’s the story you’re sticking with.” She chuckled, before beginning to trail off “It would have been more believable if you had told me they were somehow Kairi’s hand me downs.”

That’s right, Kairi! We were going to see Kairi and Riku!

“I’ve really got to get going! I love you, bye!” Sora parted, quickly throwing out his banana peel and sending his mom a half-hearted wave.

* * *

It took away from the experience that I couldn’t feel anything that Sora did. Every taste in his mouth provided me no flavour, the sand under his feet didn’t cause mine to feel the burn and the smell of his mother’s pastries would never reach my nose. I was purely a spectator, able to watch the story of Sora’s life unfolding out in front of me like a movie in the theater. I didn’t mind, of course, just lucky enough to be there to see everything, and yet, it was moments like these: Sora racing down the beach, wind in his face, sun beaming down and sand giving underneath him as he ran – that I began to feel taken aback. It was a reminder that this was just a dream to me, a foggy experience where I wasn’t even all that “there” to begin with.

I could not be bitter, because I had chosen this fate afterall. If Sora was smiling, even if I couldn’t feel that smile, it was enough.

– And he was _definitely_ smiling, since Kairi and Riku were there to greet him with their own!

“Sora,” Kairi had to pause due to the laughter spilling out of her mouth “just what are you _wearing?_ ”

Sora stopped just a few steps shy of them, still letting out light breaths from his run.

“Wha- Oh come on, it’s not that bad!” Sora complained, sighing.

“Yeah, I’m siding with Kairi on this one. You’re lucky we get uniforms for school, Sora.” Riku teased.

 _“‘Look at me, I’m Riku, I like showing off my abs for the whole world to see.’”_ Sora mocked, sticking out his chest and flexing.

Riku grew embarrassed, zipping up his vest zipper to cover his mouth in order to hide part of his face. Kairi definitely found it funny, though, and I know Sora loved impressing her.

“Shut up, okay.” Riku mumbled, punching Sora in the shoulder. Sora laughed, glad that the focus wasn’t on him anymore. He was happy for moments like these, hanging out, the three of them laughing together on the beach. It was these days that Sora fought for.

* * *

“You okay?” Sora asked, stepping out of the portal with that girl at his side. This place was definitely Beast’s Castle, another one of my memories Sora was experiencing during his sleep.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do starting tomorrow. It’s no use.” His friend tried summoning the keyblade, to no avail. Sora managed to summon his own, Kingdom Key appearing at his side.

“What about my keyblade? Can you control mine?” Sora said, outstretching his keyblade for her to take. Hesitantly, she took it in her hand, testing it with one swift stroke.

“I guess I can?” The girl announced, unsure.

“Then go ahead and use it for the day.” Sora spoke with a smile.

“But Roxas-“ She cut in, anxious.

“Maybe it’ll help you remember how to use your own.” Sora continued, putting his friend before himself. He looked like he genuinely believed his advice, convincing her to trust him.

“What will you do in the meantime?” She asked, pointing out the obvious problem.

“Well, I’ll just uh… use this!” Sora said, looking around for any object and grasping something on the floor.

“Roxas, that’s a stick.” She spoke with genuine confusion, puzzled with her friend’s antics.

“I could have never pictured the saviour of worlds fighting with a stick.” I commented with a chuckle, entering the scene and effectively stopping the illusion around Sora.

“It’s your memory, not mine!” Sora complained, the stick shattering away with the rest of the scene, the world turning into his Station of Awakening. I tried approaching him and my legs felt wobbly, falling easily like jello to the floor. My headache was back, wonderful.

“Are you alright?” Sora asked, coming over to me.

“Yeah, you don’t need to say it again. I heard you yesterday.” I teased, shrugging off Sora’s inquiry. Was that rude? Hm, well, maybe. He couldn’t assume this was a chronic pain, even then I can’t hold his concern against him. Sora just raised an eyebrow.

“Yesterday…?” Sora asked, seemingly genuinely confused. It was like the more he thought about it, the more blurry his memories became and the more his head began to hurt.

“Well, I mean, hopefully this’ll just go away like last time. It won’t… stick with me.” I added on for clarification, referring to my headache. Sora groaned.

“Roxas, don’t tell me you like puns!” Sora sighed, shaking his head. I laughed, the somber tone having dissipated from before.

“Hm, no, when you’re living with Demyx and Axel constantly, you’re going to pick up something eventually. I think Demyx was the real instigator: Axel just joined in to drive Saïx crazy.” I elaborated, smiling when looking back on those days. Back then, it was nice “playing house” as Díz might’ve put it. I don’t think a lot of the organization was pretending to be nice to me, they were just being genuine people. Larxene was salty a lot of the time, though, that was only when you flipped her “switch”. She was laid back like Axel, maybe with more straight-forward ambition than him. And more lightning.

Oh! _That’s_ what he meant by “switch”. A light switch! Maybe Larxene would have one, because of lightning being made up of electricity! ...No, you’re right, that’s probably wrong. That would make Larxene a robot or something! And she was definitely a Nobody like the rest of us…

“A stick, though? Really?” Sora brought up, unable to drop my foolish substitute for a weapon. Hey, I had to make due with what was around me!

“Yeah, once, I even used an umbrella. Doesn’t look as intimidating, but still packs a good punch.” I explained, acting out a batter hitting a baseball with his bat. Huh, why did I even need to give up my keyblade in the first place? I would be able to summon my keyblade regardless of the world...

“Did she ever use one too?” Sora asked. She? I didn’t have many female companions or friends throughout the worlds. Unless he meant Larxene…?

“Larxene? Of course not! She uses electricity.” I answered, laughing. Well, maybe I shouldn't laugh. That electricity was NOT to be trifled with. Just imagining Larxene bent over in battle with an umbrella as her weapon was a hilarious image, thinking about it!

“No I meant-“ Sora tried to speak, my focus shifting from his voice as static raced through my head. What was that noise?

“Uh, Sorry, you were saying?” I apologized, trying to ignore the dull ache in my head.

“I just, no,” Sora shook his head before smiling “I’m glad I got to see you again.”

“Same here.” I agreed, nodding. It was nice getting to know the boy I had longed for so long.

* * *

“I thought this would be easy.” She said with a sigh. Sora shot her a puzzled stare, biting into his ice cream. The two were on the tower again, the girl’s hood up over her face.

“What would?” Sora blinked. He couldn’t fathom what the girl could be talking about.

“I mean, you weren’t supposed to be here. None of us were, yet here we are, sitting.” She answered, almost regretfully.

“You’re not making any sense, —-.” Sora commented.

“It was nice seeing you, if at least, for a little while,” the girl said, turning to him and smiling “Sora.”

“Wait, What? You can see the real me?!” Sora gasped, startled and almost dropping the ice cream out of his hands.

She just smiled.

“I hope you two can find happiness.” She said quietly, biting off the last of the ice cream from her stick.

“Who are you talking about?” Sora asked. Two of us? Him and who else?

“Sora, I should be asking you that question.” I said, appearing beside the brunet on the other side. Sora whipped his head up to look at me, the scenery around us melting away and leaving us on Sora’s Station.

“Roxas! You scared me!” Sora complained, hopping up on his two feet to meet me. He wiped the dust of his pants, refusing to meet my eyes.

“It never gets old.” I snickered, wiping a fake tear from my eye. It had become a habit of mine to sneak up on the brunet and interrupt memories.

“You say that as though you’ve scared me before.” Sora commented, skeptically. Oh? So he was gonna go there, huh, try to deny me and retain his pride. Okay, let’s see who’ll break first!

“Of course, who could scare the great saviour of worlds.” I played along, puffing out my chest in order to imitate him. Sora still looked even more confused however. He’s a really bad actor, so he must be going all out today. I don’t give in easy, Sora!

“We’ve never really met before, though. The last time I saw you, we were about to fight Xemnas.” Sora spoke, making me grow more and more discouraged with every beat. Was he… not acting? He’s actually confused? Does he not remember me scaring him before?

“Sora, you’re pulling my leg, right? Don’t tell me you can’t remember almost falling off the ledge that one time I scared you when you were with Axel.” I explained, trying to jog his memory. It was so specific, it must’ve triggered _something_ in his brain. Sora wouldn’t let a joke run on this long.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sora squeaked. The smile quickly melted off my face as it turned into hopelessness.

The brunet was so genuine, too. He was desperately looking through his mind, grasping for any straw that would connect to the words I was telling him. Every time he came close, all he could hear was static, the noise causing his eyes to shut and mind to run away from the pain it caused him.

“I have been remembering! Well, looking through your memories. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Sora went on. His innocent confusion made it hard for me to be angry at the him, so I won’t be. We just have to work through it, that’s all.

“I didn’t know we could meet so easily like this. I’d rather laugh with you and tell you personally secondhand, than have you remember my memories firsthand.” I explained. There wasn’t an easy solution to this problem, well, a solution I particularly liked.

“I could always give you the memories of our previous encounters, but that may cause more problems than solve.” I suggested. That wasn’t sure to go well.

“You’re implying we’ve met before today.” Sora spoke slowly, confused.

“We have, yes.” I said bluntly, adding in a nod.

“And I’ve forgotten all of it?” Sora asked. He could remember my memories just fine, from what I could gather. It was our interactions afterwards that he was having trouble grasping.

“Yeah.” I answered, eyes looking at the floor. Before I knew it, Sora woke up and slipped out of my fingers. This was only a dream in his head, after all.

* * *

Everyday, it was the same as it was before, and yet, this routine had become solemn. Those expressions of surprise were too genuine, too unique. It was those blue eyes seeing my face for the first time over and over that wore down my spirit.

Nothing I said or did triggered his memory; no amount of prodding or poking made him think of our time together. I finally understand now, how Axel felt approaching me in the Virtual Twilight Town. The desperation, wanting those eyes to return the warm recognition when meeting an old friend.

Why couldn’t Sora remember?! My memories, they brought me to him each night, and yet never did we grow closer. Seeing him these past few days let my heart sink deeper into hopelessness. These feelings, it would be so much simpler if I could just _give_ Sora these thoughts. Sora didn’t deserve these, though. He doesn't know what crime he has committed, standing innocently in front of me.

“Sora, I-“ I started a sentence, not knowing how to end it. Words, no, air, caught in my throat. The pain returned to my head as I fell to the floor on my knees.

I couldn’t hold back my tears this time. At one point, the mysterious pain had just been in my head, and then it would fade. It kept returning, and returning, while this ache within my chest refused to even give me a moment’s peace.

Sora… he was probably talking, wasn’t he? Are you alright? Are you alright? Are you al….

“No, I’m not alright. And I don’t know if it ever will be.” My voice whispered. Attacking Sora back at the World That Never Was, yes, that had been easy. My rage was my right sword, determination for the answers I lacked in my left. Now, I had those answers, and yet I had traded in my burning fire for this exercise in futility. No matter what I did, who I hurt, there were only 7 days left of summer vacation and then it would all be over.

This wasn’t a simulation. There was no Díz, Naminé or Riku pulling the strings. This had been caused my own two hands reaching out to grasp Sora in my palms.

“You’re not alright? What can I do to make it better, then?” Sora asked kindly. He had gotten down to my level, sitting on his knees.

I wiped the tears from my face and held a bitter smile. A jagged sigh pushed out any remaining sadness as I mirrored his sitting pose. Quietly, I took his hands in mine.

“Back when I figured this out, I thought this was bad idea, because it was essentially what got me into this mess.” I stated. Yeah, this was a _really_ dumb idea, and it was my _only_ idea.

“If it’ll make you feel better, we might as well try, right?” Sora said, trying to meet my eyes. I let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, right,” I answered. Sora was always so kind. He’d do anything if it meant the other person was happy if they meant something to him. Kind of funny, really, a sorta irony that one of the few times he remembers meeting me, it was battling on this same station. We’d met as enemies then, but joined together as friends now.

“Well, I was thinking, if you are me, then you should be able to feel what I felt.” I explained, closing my eyes. I gathered up all my emotions, my memories of us on this station and my feelings, and pushed them towards the light that was Sora. It was cathartic, releasing a huge breath of air I’d kept in, having let it all out from what was bottled inside.

My body felt warm and tingly, never wanting to get rid of this feeling as I fell into rest.

* * *

Of course, he had to get up that morning. The sun burned his eyelid as he brought into the waking world. The covers were so soft against his skin, so comforting, I didn’t want to move.

Soft...?

Anyways, Sora needed to brush his teeth like always, and got up to go. Dragging along, I saw the door get pushed open and stood in front of the mirror…

“What the heck?!” I jumped back against the wall of the bathroom. The face that returned, um, mine, wasn’t _Roxas_ in appearance, nor was it Sora’s. It was new, yet was an homage to the two.

**What’s going on, Roxas?**

I heard Sora anxiously ask, and even though my mouth didn’t move I could hear him definitely.

_I don’t know, this has never happened before._

That voice, that was Roxas, without a doubt.

Wait, hold on, so there’s two people, Sora, one, Roxas, two… me, three? Who am I then? There’s not supposed to be three in here!!! Hold on a second, let’s just relax and calm down...

**_Okay, I can’t handle this! What’s going on?!_ **

I thought to nobody in particular. Shouldn’t there be somebody else though? I’m not counting again. Roxas, he’s in here somewhere, right? Okay, I can faintly feel him, Sora’s not too far off either. I focused on those two, those two seemed to be on the right track. My mind and body feels fuzzy, but definitely Sora and Roxas are… back… now…

_Sora, you remember me?_

**I can! … oh yeah, we were having problems with that, weren’t we? Ha ha...**

_But now you remember, that’s great. Now to solve this dilemma. Why do we look like this?_

**We? It’s my body, right?**

_Yes, sorry… hm, wait, that’s it! We’re both in control right now! That’s why it must be like this._

**I’m not following.**

Roxas…yes, I this time, tried to pull away from Sora. Surely enough, the appearance slowly went back to normal as I “brought myself out”.

As I slipped away from Sora, I was brought into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

I was woken by insistent hands shaking me. As my eyes opened up, I realized that it was Sora bringing me to.

It seemed I was on a version of Sora’s bed, positioned on his station of awakening. I could see his face full of relief as I became more conscious.

“Roxas! You’re okay!” Sora exclaimed, smiling. I sat up on the bed, rubbing my eyes.

Right, there was that time in the waking world, the two of us freaking out.

“Why are you so worried, I’m alive, aren’t I?” I said slowly, raising an eyebrow. If I wasn’t alive, that would mean that Sora was also not alive, which was even worse! That was probably the most extreme possibility, which contradicted the soft glow that came from the pillar underneath my feet.

“Yes, but I couldn’t contact you. It’s not like I could call you up on the phone and ask if you were okay. You suddenly disappeared, and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t sense you in that way anymore.” Sora explained, putting a hand to his chest.

I blinked at him, before scooting over and patting the empty spot on the mattress beside me. He sat down, not once meeting my eyes.

“ _‘In that way’_ , huh.” I mused, looking from him to the great abyss that surrounded his station.

I, to some extent, could gather what he was trying to say. There was a different feeling, a different presence, that filled my chest when we were like _that_. And _that_ , I couldn’t even name. We were both there, experiencing everything around us. I wasn’t dreaming, nor was I spectating. Those covers had felt _soft_ against my skin, our skin, because Sora, he was definitely within the same body too. My chest in the real world had felt feeling for the first time in what seemed like ages. I could feel Sora in there, and I think Sora could feel me too.

“I think I understand, I usually can’t communicate with you when you’re awake. I just watch.” I admitted, nodding my head a little.

“What do mean ‘usually’? Do you watch me everyday or something?” Sora expressed, suddenly turning to me. Okay, saying that out loud, or out of context, it was pretty weird. I certainly wouldn’t want someone breathing over my neck and watching every tiny little movement I made. It just became so routine for me, I said it without a second thought. _Stupid, stupid Roxas!_

“I’m not trying to be creepy or anything! I swear! There’s really nothing else for me to do here.” I defended, waving my arms. Sora investigated my face for any sign of give as I nervously waited for his reply. I sweated more with every second, Sora’s eyes squinting and face in a sort of pout.

“Fine, I’ll believe you. I doubt you’d be doing it maliciously.” Sora admitted, withdrawing from my personal bubble. I let out a sigh of relief and slouched over. _Thank goodness_.

“Well, whatever happened differently this time worked, because I certainly remember it.” Sora continued, shivering. “Hard to shake off, really.”

“Agreed, I don’t know why we got that result… Do you, uh, want to do it again?” I suggested. It was a crazy idea, but I was incredibly curious, and I was pretty sure Sora had an itch in the back of his head, too. No better way to find out, then to do it again. Really, all it really did was transport me to this bed afterwards, and hadn’t harmed us in any way that I could visibly see.

“How would we do it? Same process as last time?” Sora asked, entertaining my idea.

“I guess.” I answered with a shrug. Sora nodded, watching as I turned my body to face him on the bed. I outstretched my palms before me, inviting him to hold them. Hesitantly, Sora raised his hands, double checking my eyes before taking my hands gently within his own.

I closed my eyes, thinking back. What had I done, again? It was just that want to communicate my feelings to Sora in a way he’d understand fully. Our hearts shared a special connection, so I tugged on that bond, whispering to it my desires and thoughts, hoping Sora would feel them. My body started feeling weird again, almost like when a leg has “fallen asleep” when you leave it in a funny position, and yet this sensation was widespread all over my body. My head hurt, but like last time, the pain disappearing almost as fast as it came.

When I opened my eyes, I don’t think I was quite Roxas anymore. No, let me rephrase that, he was there, like last time, and Sora was also there. I felt “that way” again, as Sora had put it. It didn’t feel weird or bad. Just, something I wasn’t used to yet. I’d have to decide later how I viewed this feeling.

Shakily, I tried to get up, noticing my shoes and clothes were different than before. I grabbed the side of the bed for support, afraid I might collapse under this new weight. Tentatively, I took a step away from the bed, positioning myself like I’d stepped onto ice in new skates for the first time. The bed began to disappear since I was no longer touching it, fading into bits of white light and letting me see the steinglass below me in its entirety.

It wasn’t just Sora anymore! The other me was there too, our figures laid out opposite to each other on the Station. A lot of Sora’s blue had melted into a nice arrangement of reds, oranges and pinks, Roxas peacefully lying in the thick of it. I smiled, a warm fire glowing in my chest at the sight of the image.

As everything turned to a white, I could feel myself falling into the waking world.

* * *

I bolted upright in my real bed, buzzing with energy. Usually, I’d be really tired, since I often didn’t get to bed until late at night. That sentiment didn’t seem to fit with this thrill and excitement racing through me. With the blood pumping within me so fast, it was truly like I had two hearts thumping in my chest.

I glanced over at my clock, and saw I was up earlier than usual. I had a decent amount of time before I had to meet with Kairi and Riku, which was perfect for what I had planned. Getting out of bed, I was making my way towards the door before pausing at my reflection. I’d been too caught up in the fact that _“why hello, I’ve never seen that face before”_ in order to get a good look at myself yesterday. This was my face, huh? Not too shabby, I’ve still got those blue eyes. My hair has some brown and blonde in it, so that’s a nice compromise. It’s not as spikey as Sora’s, and it doesn’t quite curve into that angle Roxas’ did.

I shake my hair out and smile, before going out the door. I had to be quiet because I didn’t know if my mom was up yet, otherwise I would be practically running to the shore.

And what a shore it was.

As I stood there taking in the ocean breeze, the sun was rising behind me on the horizon. I looked out into the water catching the first few glimpses of light; the sky a nice shade of blue and purple, the two blending across the wide open canvas.

Everything was so perfect. After taking it all in, I quickly took off my shoes and threw my socks in a crumpled pile. Axel had taken Roxas to the beach before, but I knew he never had the True Beach Experience™ that Sora grew up with. Without any hesitation, I took off running down the beach, letting my feet feel the sand and the wind brush my face. I wanted to experience everything that Roxas had missed, as if making up for lost time on this ocean shore. Nobody could hear me as I yelled, free and without form.

Once I got to the end of the shoreline, I threw off my shirt and pants, having worn my swimming trunks underneath. Casting them aside carelessly, I eased into the water, wincing at the cold liquid. It was balanced with the temperate weather, and yet that didn’t take away from the shivers it caused to go down my spine. I laughed: all my hairs were standing on end!

I gathered my courage and dove into the water. Yikes, this _was_ freezing! But I didn’t care, Sora having learned a while back that if you stuck your whole body under cold water, your body would get used to it eventually.

Even with the darkness, the water was crystal clear and my eyes had adjusted to the lack of light. Everything I was perceiving, touching, feeling; it was amazing! The hair in my face, the waves brushing up against my skin, just incredible. I even managed to catch a fish in my palms, touching its skinny skin briefly before letting it slip out of my fingertips. I rose above the ocean water, letting out a huge gasp. Kicking back and relaxing in the calm waves made me feel like I was on cloud nine, even if I was cradled on the ocean wide.

Taking it all in…

“This is amazing-”

“Sora?” A voice interrupted my confession. I quickly looked over down the beach and saw Riku in the far distance, searching for Sora. I ducked underneath the water, trying to briefly hide.

_Looks like Riku’s here._

Roxas observed. What was left unsaid was him trying to ask what Sora thought the best course of action would be.

**Time really flies that fast when you’re having fun, huh?**

Sora chuckled in my head. Even though the ocean was cold around me, that statement made me feel warm. Roxas and Sora both shared this idea: neither of them wanted this to end, so I didn’t either. If Riku hadn’t shown up, who knows how long I would have gone swimming?

_I’ll see you tonight._

**Of course!**

Sora answered. I could feel myself fade as the two unfused, Sora’s band slipping out of Roxas as he ran forward to the forefront of his head, while Roxas drifted to back.

By the time Sora made it to sand, he was gasping and heaving, bent over and appearance returned to normal. Riku looked upon Sora with concern, not understanding how the boy could choke up water with a smile on his face. After the coughing died down, Sora wiped his mouth with the back of his palm.

“Hi Riku!” Sora greeted enthusiastically, grinning up at his confused friend. He shook his body like a dog, Riku reacting appropriately when the stray droplets of water hit him.

 _“Hey!”_ Riku complained, even if it was obvious the action didn’t offend him. He weakly tried to wipe the water off, Sora gathering his clothes together. They had changed from Hikaru’s clothes to a pair of Sora’s own, Sora neglecting to take note of the difference as he put them on. He was having trouble with the zipper: his body still wet, and hair dripping.

“Going for a polar bear dip?” Riku teased, letting out a small laugh.

“Yeah, something like that,” Sora answered with a sly smile. Riku raised an eyebrow, knowing that Sora wasn’t great at keeping secrets. From an unfortunate personal experience, Riku knew secrets slipped out of Sora faster than water in a broken dam: with enough prodding the dam would give way and all the liquid would pour out. Sora tried to keep them, he really did, but it was easy to catch him like a deer in the headlights. There were few secrets Sora could keep locked up tight.

“I grabbed your shoes and socks. I became worried when they were so far away, I thought you might’ve… well, I know you’re a good swimmer, but I was still worried. I followed your footsteps in the sand,” Riku expressed, holding out Sora’s socks and shoes, which we had carelessly took off earlier. Sora took them graciously, trying to balance himself on the sand as he put them back on.

“Thanks,” Sora answered with a small nod. As he put them back on, he stood in front of Riku,

“Honestly Sora, what brought you out so early? You’re usually so late.” Riku asked, curiosity getting the better of him. He couldn’t help but prod on this seemingly spontaneous outing.

“It’s a secret!” Sora laughed, energy beaming.

What Sora also neglected to take note of, was that if the clothes had changed, than would the shoes in Riku's hands also had done so as well?

* * *

_**AN: I'm pretty sure this chapter is 3x longer than the chapter it's based off of, wowza. The switch thing is mainly a reference to the manga. Also, the other protagonist, who could it be, who could it be, hmm? AS ALWAYS, I love talking about lore and fusion and all that fun stuff, so whether it be from predictions to changes from the original, I'm here to talk!** _


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